Australia re-lists LeJ, JeM as terrorist organisations

Australia on Wednesday re-listed four organisations, including Lashkar-e Jhangvi and Jaish-e- Mohammad, as terrorist groups for the next three years and any association with the outfits by Australian citizens would draw up to 25 years imprisonment.

Melbourne: Australia on Wednesday re-listed four organisations, including Lashkar-e Jhangvi and Jaish-e- Mohammad, as terrorist groups for the next three years and any association with the outfits by Australian citizens would draw up to 25 years imprisonment.

The four organisations - Ansar al-Islam, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Lashkar-e Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammad - have been listed continuously under the Criminal Code Act 1995 since 2003.

The new listings are valid for three years, after which time the organisations may again be re-listed under the Criminal Code, the Australian Attorney-General's Department said in a statement.

"It continues to be a criminal offence to direct the activities of, be a member of, recruit for, train for and receive training from Ansar al-Islam, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Lashkar-e Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

"It is also a criminal offence to get funds to, from or for, provide support to and associate with members of these terrorist organisations.

"Participation in these activities could result in prosecution," it said.

The maximum penalty for some of these offences is 25 years imprisonment.

The re-listing of these four terrorist organisations is consistent with similar action taken by our international partners, including the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and the United Nations Security Council.

An organisation is listed as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code when the Attorney-General is satisfied on "reasonable grounds" that the outfit is directly or indirectly engaged in, preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering the doing of a terrorist act or advocates the doing of a terrorist act, it said.